Bradley Smith on 125GP front row despite crash
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Bradley Smith will start from the front row in Phillip Island
British teenager Bradley Smith will start tomorrow’s Australian GP from the front row of the grid after he claimed second in a crash strewn final qualifying session.
The Polaris World Aprilia rider was one of several crashers on a sunny but blustery afternoon in Phillip Island, but he bounced back to secure second on the grid and he will start the 23-lap race behind world championship leader Mike di Meglio.
Smith logged a best time of 1.37.791 on his last flying lap after he escaped injury in a crash at the Honda Hairpin earlier in the session.
He was only 0.238s off claiming his fourth pole of the season, though his second secured him a ninth front row start of 2008.
Blusens Aprilia rider Scott Redding just missed out on a top 10 start as he was dumped to 11th in the final seconds.
He posted a best time of 1.38.767, while Danny Webb found the going considerably tougher today than his impressive showing yesterday.
Webb, who is nursing the pain of a broken right collarbone, had qualified second on the provisional grid in a rain-hit first qualifying session but slipped down the rankings and he will start 15th.
The Aprilia rider posted a best time of 1.38.912, which was still only 1.3s off pole position.
